Above: Ground Game Texas and Decriminalize Denton gather for the kickoff canvassing event in Denton Square.
In Texas, voters are unable to pass statewide ballot initiatives. But in some “home rule” communities, the city charter does allow for local voter initiatives. In several of these cities across the state—including Austin, San Marcos, and Killeen—residents have voted to change how police handle low-level marijuana crimes by passing initiatives to deprioritize misdemeanor marijuana charges, urging police to ignore them whenever possible.
A new report conducted by the nonprofit Ground Game Texas, which was key in advising the coalition in Killeen and several other Texas cities that have passed similar initiatives, shows that when these policies are successfully implemented in a community, they can keep hundreds of people, mostly people of color, out of jail.
